1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to display devices in image forming apparatus such as electrophotographic copying apparatus and facsimiles machines.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, electrophotographic copying apparatus have been adapted to perform multiple functions, that is, to be able to make not only normal copies but also various copies such as enlarged copies and reduced copies, to edit copies such as by partial erasing and partial extraction, and to make composite copies and duplex copies.
Therefore, the conventional electrophotographic copying apparatuses performing multiple functions include, in many cases, those adapted such that there are provided, as display devices, a normal mode display device for displaying the contents necessarily required for a copying operation such as a copy volume and a copy density and a special mode display device for displaying the contents for setting the edit copies, the contents for setting the composite copies, and the like.
Furthermore, as another example the conventional electrophotographic copying apparatus include those adapted such that a single display device is used both as a normal mode display device and a special mode display device to display a necessary display mode using a display switching button.
The former electrophotographic copying apparatus in which two display devices are provided for respectively displaying the normal mode and the special mode have the disadvantages of taking much space and of being high in cost.
On the other hand, the latter electrophotographic copying apparatus in which a single display device can display both the normal mode and the special mode by switching do not have the above described disadvantages but have the disadvantage of inferior operability.
Not only the electrophotographic copying apparatus but also facsimile machines adapted to perform multiple functions have the above described disadvantages.